thank the reaper
by Drac
Summary: it is a poem that someone made. it is some what sad.


**Thank the Reaper**

By Gundam Bravo

Neither the Gundam Pilots, nor their mecha or their universe belong to me, I merely twist them to my evil little will on occasion. Don't sue me!

"Thank The Reaper" is the property of Jenni Bravo, all rights reserved.

* * *

**1**

_Thank the Reaper_

_He takes away the pain_

_The memories fade, the songs die away_

_All things die away_

"Duo! Get out of there!" Heero's voice registered so faintly through Deathscythe's cockpit that Duo almost paid no attention.   
"I can't leave now, Heero."

"It's a trap! Get out of there or they'll kill you!" In some part of Duo's mind, a triumphant grin erupted. Heero was worried about him! He did care! But Duo made no move to acknowledge Heero's words.   
"I am Shinigami. Death cannot die, Heero." Duo turned to look at Wing nearby. "We cannot die."

"Duo..." Heero sounded fainter... the system must be faulty, Duo thought. "We're going to die today."

"No!" for the first time since they had arrived and been attacked the haze of battle left his eyes, his vision clearing. Wing was battered and heavily damaged... a screen appeared in front of his face. Had Heero lost that much blood? Surely it wasn't as much as it looked like...

"Duo..." he looked up. Wing's pilot's spiky mop of brown hair was matted with blood and clung to his skull. "Duo... it's the end." A small smile on a face that never smiled. Duo was struck by the strangeness of the expression on Heero's stony face. Even during their most tender moments, his koi had never smiled often. It was a gentle smile, awkward and out of place on the features of the Perfect Soldier. 

"No... Heero..." Duo reached towards the screen as it vanished in a burst of static and for the first time felt his own wounds. Bruised and battered, he couldn't remember being tossed around the cockpit enough to warrant this... He blinked his eyes; one eye wouldn't open without some difficulty. Blood. Blood all over him. Shards from the cockpit's interior were imbedded in his arm and face. A hand reached up to touch his face; it came away a dark crimson. So much blood...

"Duo! Behind you!" Quatre's voice was thin through the static. A blinding flash of light... There was a scream, though whether it was out loud or inside his head, Duo had no idea. He was paralyzed. Everything was frozen in time, there was no time, only now, only that instant.

"Heero... I love you..." 

_"_**_I love you, too, Duo_**_." There was a tenderness in his eyes I've never seen before..._

_"_**_Duo no baka_**_." Yeah, Heero, I love you too.  
"_**_Omae o korosu_**_." But you can't, can you, koi?_

_"_**_Cut your hair_**_." You'd never forgive me._

_"_**_If you ever cut your hair, I'll kill you_**_." See?_

_"_**_Please... don't make me kill you..._**_" You couldn't do it... You care for me as much as I care for you..._

_"_**_Shut up_**_." I can't help talking when I'm happy. And you make me happy._

_"_**_I love you, too, Duo_**_." Forever, Heero? I promise..._

_Heero... I love you..._

_Death can't die..._

_But in Death lies an escape..._

_Freedom mere mortals never experience..._

_Relief from the fighting..._

_Peace at last..._

_Forgive me..._

_HEERO!_

**2**

_Thank the Reaper_

_He brings the silence_

_The words are lost, faces forgotten_

_All things die away_

"Duo... It's the end..." Heero managed a weak smile before terminating communication. Then he slumped over, bringing his hand away from his abdomen. Not even he could survive the loss of so much blood. His vision was hazy, he couldn't breathe... there was a movement behind Duo... a scream from the Shinigami pilot made him look up, his vision clearing for just long enough to see the one thing he'd hoped he'd never have to witness...

"NO!" 

"Heero... I love you..."

Heero cried out as Deathscythe exploded in a myriad of sparks and shrapnel. He couldn't move, the salty tears on his face stung as they crossed the cuts and mingled with his blood to pool on his cheeks. His face twisted with a grimace as he swung Wing around for the last time. They had killed Duo... __his Duo... and for that they would die... Better that they had killed him. He screamed and threw himself at the attacking mobile suits, slashing left and right with a beam saber that was rapidly using up the last of Wing's energy reserves. When it was gone, he stood alone, untouched in the blackness of space, surrounded on every side by a ring of enemy suits. A metal angel, a tool of destruction and the bringer of salvation to those he touched. Then the attack came as the other suits overwhelmed the helpess, dying Gundam.

A blinding light, a freezing blackness, a burning pain and an instant of revelation...

_"_**_I love you, Heero_**_!" I love you too, koi... more than you can know..._

_"_**_Where would I be without you_**_?" you laugh... but I would be worthless without you by my side..._

**_"What? Cut my hair? Not on your life_**_!" good... it's beautiful... you're beautiful..._

_"_**_Are you gonna sit in front of the computer all day_**_?" Oh yes... the computer's there... I've been watching you instead._

_"_**_If you self-destruct again, I'll kill you_**_!" I can't kill myself now... not now that I have something to live for..._

_"_**_Some people just don't appreciate the true beauty of life_**_." I appreciate you... you are the only true beauty in my life, Duo... you are my life... forgive me..._

_I never expected death so soon..._

_A blessing to one undeserving..._

_I fought for peace..._

_Perhaps now I will find it..._

_I love you..._

_I'll join you soon..._

_DUO!_

**3**

_Say goodbye_

_The world is ending_

_Make your peace_

_And fade away_

"Duo! Behind you!" Quatre called out weakly. The fragile blond pilot had taken more damage than anyone else had, his suit wasn't intended for space battles and would never be able to fully compete with the others. Trowa had stayed around his gentle lover even on the battlefield, protecting him and taking much of the damage intended for the Sandrock Gundam. But Heavyarms was not invincible, and together the sheer numbers of the enemy troops had worn them down. Now Quatre was desperately trying to warn a dying Duo of the danger behind him - backup troops.

"NO!" Heero's anguished voice echoed through Quatre's cockpit and his eyes filled with tears. Duo was gone. A second explosion marked Heero's exit from the mortal realm moments later. 

"Together again... forever..." Quatre murmured, turning his head with difficulty to look out and see Heavyarms, floating uselessly in space as near to him as possible. "Trowa?" nothing. "Trowa!"

"Quatre... hush, little one..." tears rolled down the Arabian pilot's cheeks at the sound of the soft voice he knew so well. "It will all be over soon."

"I don't want to leave you, Trowa..."

"I'm going with you, Quatre... I won't leave you alone... I promise..." Trowa coughed, and Quatre could see blood trickling from his mouth. "We're going to be together always..." the mobile suits were advancing upon the pair. Out of ammunition and lacking enough energy reserves to move their suits far enough away to buy any time, the wounded boys awaited the fate that overcame them in seconds that lasted an eternity.

"I love you, Trowa."

_"_**_I love you too, little one_**_." I know..._

_"_**_Hush, little one, I'm here_**_." Thank you... you're always there..._

**_"Quatre, do you think this will last_**_?" Until my dying breath and beyond, koi..._

_"_**_How can we fight so hard for a peace that seems unreachable_**_?" We fight for those who can't fight... we fight to protect our families... those we love... each other..._

_"_**_Wait for me, Quatre_**_." I would never leave you behind..._

_"_**_I love you_**_." I will always love you, Trowa..._

_Death is so inviting to those who are weary of fighting..._

_I will wait for you, Trowa._

_Don't take too long..._

_I'll be lonely without you..._

_TROWA!_

**4**

_Say goodnight_

_The final bow_

_One last kiss,_

_Then fade away_

"We're going to be together always..."

"I love you, Trowa." There was a blast that finally destroyed Sandrock's defenses. Trowa looked up in time to see Quatre's smiling face, marred only by a few trickles of blood, before the transmission ended and Sandrock was demolished. 

"Now for me... Take me to him." Trowa spat blood onto the floor of the cockpit. "I won't live without him." He closed his eyes in his last seconds, remembering Quatre's smile. An angel on the battlefield, his Quatre... fallen from heaven to grace the presence of mortals, returned now. "Please," he whispered. "Take me with you..."

An explosion answered his plea.

"I love you..."

_"_**_Why do we fight, Trowa_**_?" For peace, little one. For each other. For our future._

_"_**_You love me_**_?" You were so surprised the first time I said it... But how could I not?_

**_"Don't leave me..._**_" I will never leave you._

_"_**_I wish we didn't have to fight_**_." I wish I could protect you from the ugly sights of the battlefield._

_"_**_Forget about me, you have to help the others_**_!" I will never forget about you, koi. You are first. Always._

_The fight is over..._

_My final performance..._

_Goodbye..._

_Hello, Quatre..._

_I've missed you..._

_I love you..._

_QUATRE!_

**5**

_Just one more time_

_Face the Reaper_

_Then go with him_

_Quietly_

"There is no shame in dying on the battlefield, Nataku." Wufei said quietly. "Nataku... you were strong... very strong... I could not keep you ahead of them. Forgive me." He lowered his head, watching as his blood dripped onto the controls. "I am wounded, Nataku, as are you. But we cannot back down now. We will die fighting, with honor! That is how it should be!" Wufei reached for the controls, which were jarred from his hand by a sudden impact. Parts of mobile suits had slammed into the Shenlong Gundam - parts of the suits used by his companions... Wufei's eyes widened. "We fight alone, Nataku. We will die fighting for them!" A blast shot out and a mobile suit was stopped dead. But there were more, so many more, swarming towards him. Wufei screamed a challenge. "Dead, lifeless dolls! I will not be destroyed at the hands of soulless machines! I cannot be!" Shenlong moved sluggishly on such low power. All the Gundams had fought too hard for too long. The final battle was a crushing defeat... they could not compete with the sheer numbers. Wufei slammed his fist down on the controls. "There is no justice! Defeated by mobile dolls... Not even the honor of dying at the hands of a warrior!" His eyes narrowed. "If I'm going to die... You're going with me!" He pushed his Gundam to its limits, charging straight ahead into the mass of mobile suits. They kept firing... as he approached the thickest part of the cloud of dolls and manned suits; he could feel the heat from their blasts.

_Forgive me, Nataku... I could not be stronger..._

_I will die without ensuring justice..._

_But Perhaps... with no one left who can truly fight..._

_Perhaps there will be peace now..._

_I knew peace, once..._

_Meiran... I have returned to you..._

_Hello, Nataku..._

* * *

**_Thank the Reaper_**

**_Thank the Reaper_**

**_He takes away the pain_**

**_The memories fade, the songs die away_**

**_All things die away_**

**_Thank the Reaper_**

**_He brings the silence_**

**_The words are lost, faces forgotten_**

**_All things die away_**

**_The fire burns, erasing the memories_**

**_Time passes, healing the wounds_**

**_The scythe falls once more, take me with you_**

**_Thank the Reaper, he brings me peace_**

**_Say goodbye_**

**_The world is ending_**

**_Make your peace_**

**_And fade away_**

**_Say goodnight_**

**_The final bow_**

**_One last kiss,_**

**_Then fade away_**

**_The fire burns, erasing memories_**

**_Time passes, healing the wounds_**

**_The scythe falls once more, take me with you_**

**_Thank the Reaper, he'll bring you peace_**

**_Just one more time_**

**_Face the Reaper_**

**_Then go with him_**

**_Quietly_**

**_Say your prayers, the Reaper's coming_**

**_The fire burns, fueling memories_**

**_Time passes, opening the wounds_**

**_The scythe falls once more, take me with you_**

**_Reaper... bring me peace_**


End file.
